Why does that video appear at the top of each article?

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   CrossCreationsposted 2 years ago

   Usually titled 'Welcome to Hubpages' or similar, there's a video at the top of each and every article. May I turn it off? If so, how? I searched in the FAQ for this question and was surprised not to see it. Since the video has no connection to topics, why is it even there?

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      Shesabutterflyposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      You do not have the option to turn it off. There is a post in the official announcement section about the video.
      
      The point of the video is to increase reader engagement and earnings. The ad that plays before the video generates income.
      
      I wish they would change HubPages to whatever niche site it is on, but that does not sound like it will happen in the future. Samantha has said they are working on more videos. That will likely take months if not years. However, there will always be topics with irrelevant topics unfortunately, due to the wide range of topics on each niche site.
      
      Here is the official link: https://hubpages.com/community/forum/34 … m-feedback
      
      There are several forum posts created by authors that predates this post, but this is the easiest one to find and should answer all your questions.

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      NateB11posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I find it intrusive. It's hard to read an article with it following you as you scroll.

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         NateB11posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Although if it improves earnings, I'm all for it.

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   CrossCreationsposted 2 years ago

   THX so much @Shesabutterfly - appreciated.
   Seems a bit counter intuitive to be so strict about staying on topic and no spammy content nor overly promotional links, then paste THAT on each and every page. It bothers me.

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      Shesabutterflyposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Agreed. I also hate the Hubpages logo. The whole reason for the niche sites and discover was because Google did not like HP.
      
      Not sure how they are measuring success of the videos, but Samantha has said they are performing well so it sounds like they are here to stay indefinitely.

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         CrossCreationsposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Yes ^^ and so if the reason for changes was that Google did not like HP, then WHY advertize HP on every page? Am I missing something? Is this not backwards?  Sure seems so.

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            CrossCreationsposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            Surely there must be more to this story than meets the eye, for this practice of advertizing HP heavily across the entire site just when it was obvious that HP had been nailed by Google? So if this was the reason for massive changes, including Maven and all the network sites, then all of them STILL market HP, which is the very problem that created the issue in the 1st place?   I'm lost. What?

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               chef-de-jourposted 2 years agoin reply to this

               An email to the team could prove useful?

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         Ben716posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         I'm sorry to ask, why doesn't Google like Hubpages? It's a question I had meant to ask ages ago.

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            Shesabutterflyposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            If I remember right, it was because Google does not like content farms (which HP was) and there were far too many subpar articles. There was a big Google update (Panda), and HP basically fell off Google search and stopped performing well.
            
            That was the whole reason for the niche sites, although I think they could have done a better job dividing the niches up. Currently the new sites still house too many subjects in my opinion, but they appear to be doing better in search results (likely due to the higher quality of writing generally needed to get an article on them), so hopefully they can survive the never ending Google updates.

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            CrossCreationsposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            THX @Shesabutterfly ^^ seems we were posting a response to that question about Google at same moment, so am editing mine a bit. Yes as a platform not focused toward any particular topic or theme, google downgrades such as a content farm. Apparently traffic took a huge nose dive, I think someone commented it was a 70% decrease in traffic, which is of course HUGE.

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               Ben716posted 2 years agoin reply to this

               Thank you Shesabutterfly and CrossCreations for your response.
               
               I remember having joined 2008, it took me 7 years to earn $60. The views were far between - an average of 2 views a month. When Hubpages introduced the niche sites, some of my articles were moved in some of the vertical sites. Only four articles are receiving good viewership.
               
               I agree Hubpages should've divided the niche sites further since the subjects in some of them are too broad.
               
               It's sad, Helium, which also had created vertical sites and was renamed Helium Networks closes its business as a result of the Panda update. It was by then the leading article revenue sharing site. It's easy to earn money there from traffic, and monthly contests.

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                  alambientertainmentposted 2 years agoin reply to this

                  Wow Njuguna, 7 years to reach $60?. You're a very patient guy. It's a good thing you didn't give up.

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   CrossCreationsposted 2 years ago

   I followed your link and read a few others just now. Obviously I am not the only one who is bothered by this video, especially that it is HUGE. It's 'above the fold' and 'in your face' annoying.. As a visitor, I'd click OUT and leave immediately. It feels ironic to me to consider that Hubpages is so strict about content, integrity online and such, yet insists on this video?
   Makes no sense. At the moment, it deflates my motivation to keep updating and improving content, knowing there's no escape from THAT plastered on front and center of anything I might create.  Sure there's discussion about whatever income it creates and of course we all want that, yet for me I do NOT want to sacrifice integrity in that way. Feeling sad to learn this.
   Carolan

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      CrossCreationsposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I wonder Miz Bev @theraggededge - what is your take about this issue? For me it is HUGE and even to the point of WHY stay at Hubpages? Why bust my butt to invest hours creating good content when there's no choice beyond being flattened with that video?

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         theraggededgeposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         I don't like it. But generally when Hubpages make radical changes like this, I'm okay to let them roll out and see what happens. I have an adblocker on so I don't see the worst of it
         
         Having said that, my traffic has halved over the past year so I'm not very happy about anything right now. I'm pretty sure the new format and vids are having a detrimental effect.

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            Solarasposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            You have an adblocker on??? Sacré bleu!

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   CrossCreationsposted 2 years ago

   Thx Bev ^^ Whenever a writer chooses to publish under the umbrella of such a platform, it can be risky in terms of control. There's really no choice but to let it roll out or else publish elsewhere.This lesson was clear when the Squid boat sunk about a decade ago. Since then I've never made such a consistent effort here at HP to update and edit as I have in the past month or so.
   By the way, as I was deleting decade old comments, found some from you Miz @theraggededge and that brought a deja vu smile. I was looking forward to creating some new articles after cleaning house on all the older content, but now am not feeling so keen on that. If it were small ads in a sidebar or other nonintrusive input, could roll with that, but a huge video ad front and center in every page? No can do.
   The videos strike me as spammy and overpromotional - the very same practices HP claims to NOT allow, and yet their video is placed where it's impossible to ignore. Still trying to wrap my head around that, and wish I'd known more about this roadblock a month ago.

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   theraggededgeposted 2 years ago

   

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   PaigePixelposted 2 years ago

   I haven't actually looked at a page from the reader's pov for a long time and have been just trying to get back to writing in the last few months.
   
   I was disappointed to see that video following on the page and an ad between every capsule plus a huge section at the bottom.
   
   I'm with many of you, feeling demoralized and scammy/spammy with it all. Yes, I'd like to make a few dollars, but since a few is all it ever was, now I'm wondering at what cost?

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